The business of international wine marketing
Getting
the background on the Australian wine industry, its wine pricing
strategies, export market selection and wine market analysis, were key
topics for international MBA students from Bordeaux Business School,
whose Masters program involves study trips to famous wine regions in
several countries.
The Wine Marketing Group hosted the students at UniSA, one of four prestigious universities chosen to deliver the curriculum.
Visiting the small boutique winery, Charles Melton, was of particular
interest to Los Angeles student, Michele Kawamoto (pictured), who is
examining export strategies for Australian boutique wineries to compete
successfully in the UK market. Kawamoto is focusing on two main areas of
study, looking at the
unique selling point of this high end price segment
and relationship marketing.
For Julie Lerner from the United States the visit was an opportunity to investigate some of Australia’s wine marketing strategies for her thesis, which looks at increasing wine consumption in the 21 to 34 year age group in the USA.
She said that only a small percentage, 12.5 per cent, of people in the USA drink 88 per cent of the country’s wine, but her targeted age group drinks more beer and tends to be intimidated by wine, possibly because they have no knowledge of wines and there is virtually no education on the subject.
While visits to Jacobs Creek, Grant Burge and Charles Melton wineries gave the international visitors a welcome taste of Barossa Valley wines, palate was not important for some students. It’s a business program and they all hope to come out with knowledge of the global wine industry and, of course, an MBA.